RECORDS TUMBLE IN BIG BASH EPIC

A stunning century from Ben McDermott and some last-over heroics from Stuart Broad propelled the Hobart Hurricanes to a two-wicket win over a shell-shocked Melbourne Renegades side at Etihad Stadium.

In one of the great Big Bash encounters that saw a host of records broken, the Hurricanes created a new mark for highest successful run chase by reaching the target of 223 on the last ball.

The Renegades had entered the BBL record books themselves with their first-innings tally of 4/222, spearheaded by captain Aaron Finch (63 off 40 balls), Cameron White (34 off 19), Tom Cooper (53 not out off 24) and Thisara Perera (28 not out off 11).

The Hurricanes’ mammoth chase was in early trouble at 2/19 in the third over after Cooper dismissed both openers, but that brought McDermott and veteran George Bailey to the crease.

The duo put on 151 for the third wicket, with McDermott plundering 114 off just 52 balls – featuring eight fours and nine sixes.

When McDermott, who brought up his ton off 46 balls, fell to Sunil Narine at the start of the 16th over, Hobart still needed 53 off 29 balls. Narine and fellow spinner Brad Hogg looked set to steer the home side to victory with another two wickets each, and Narine’s capture of Bailey (59 off 42) on the last ball of the 19th over looked to have sealed the deal.

Requiring 16 off the final over from Perera, the Hurricanes’ situation was even more dire two balls in. Following a single off the first delivery, Cameron Boyce was run out by Narine on the second bal taking a second run.

The equation with Sam Rainbird and Stuart Broad in the middle: 14 off four.

A loose one from Perera changed the complexion of the match’s climax, however, with Hobart picking up three wides off the third ball. Broad then scored two runs from a miscued shot in the air to midwicket, before conjuring consecutive boundaries to tie the scores.

Broad got a leading edge to the final ball and the tailenders grabbed the match-winning single.

Here are some of the more remarkable numbers from a blue-ribbon night for the competition:

222 – The Renegades set a new mark for highest total in BBL history, beating the previous record of 210.223 – The Hurricanes broke the Renegades’ record for highest total and smashed the mark for the highest BBL run-chase, while it was also the equal fourth-highest successful run chase in all T20 cricket.445 – The rivals racked up the highest match aggregate in BBL history, wiping out the 419 runs set by the Heat and the Hurricanes at the Gabba in 2013.58 – The most boundaries ever hit in a BBL game – beating the previous record of 52 – with 36 fours and 22 sixes.151 – McDermott and Bailey racked up the highest third-wicket partnership ever in BBL, and the fourth-highest for any wicket.114 – McDermott’s score fell just three runs short of Luke Wright’s record BBL score (117 off 60) for the Stars in the 2011-12 season.46 – The number of balls McDermott needed for the third-fastest century in BBL; incredibly, he smashes 87 off his last 28 balls.

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Will Evans

CBS’s Editor-in-Chief and lead rugby league, union and cricket writer, Will is a Christchurch-based freelancer, also writing for Big League and Rugby League Review magazines, and The New Daily website. Will has written four rugby league books.

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